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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 For  immediate  release:  News  Media  Contact:  March  8,  2002  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rkimball@  fcc.  gov 
 CONSUMER  AND  GOVERNMENTAL  AFFAIRS  BUREAU  LAUNCHED;  NEW  BUREAU  HAS  EXPANDED  POLICY  AND  INTERGOVERNMENTAL  AFFAIRS 
 ROLES 
 Washington,  DC  –  As  part  of  the  FCC  organizational  reform,  effective  March  25,  the  former  Consumer  Information  Bureau  will  become  the  Consumer  and  Governmental  Affairs 
 Bureau  (CGB),  with  increased  policymaking  and  intergovernmental  affairs  responsibility.  The  latter  function  will  encompass  intra-  agency  coordination  and  building  relationships  with  other 
 federal  agencies  and  tribal,  state  and  local  governments. 
 The  new  bureau  will  be  strategic,  proactive  and  deliberate  in  all  its  activities.  It  will  engage  consumers,  states,  other  governmental  organizations  and  the  industry  in  an  ongoing 
 discussion,  with  one  objective  being  to  better  inform  and  educate  consumers  to  enable  them  to  make  smart  choices  in  the  increasingly  competitive  telecom  marketplace.  The  bureau  will  also 
 solicit  consumers’  views  on  matters  important  to  the  Commission. 
 The  bureau  will  have  a  new  Policy  Division  that  will  be  responsible  for  consumer-  related  rulemakings  and  orders.  The  division  will  also  have  a  section  dedicated  to  analyzing  consumer 
 complaint  and  industry  trends. 
 An  expanded  Disabilities  Rights  Office  (DRO)  will  initiate  and  implement  policy,  monitor  the  effects  of  telecom  policy  on  the  disability  community  and  make  recommendations 
 based  on  its  findings.  The  bureau  overall  will  expand  its  outreach  to  people  with  disabilities. 
 The  Washington,  DC,  and  Gettysburg,  PA,  Consumer  Centers  will  continue  their  front-line  function  of  responding  to  consumer  inquiries  and  resolving  informal  complaints.  Their 
 duties  will  be  expanded  to  include  responding  to  inquiries  and  complaints  regarding  cable  service  matters.  The  Information  Access  and  Privacy  Office  will  review  matters  arising  under 
 the  Freedom  of  Information  Act,  due  diligence  and  other  requests  for  information. 
 The  Consumer  Affairs  and  Outreach  Division  will  take  a  proactive  approach  in  working  with  consumers,  including  outreach  to  under-  served  communities  throughout  the  country,  to 
 increase  awareness  of  the  FCC  as  a  consumer  resource.  The  division  will  coordinate  public  forums  and  other  events  nationwide  to  ensure  that  the  FCC  maintains  contact  with  people 
 “beyond  the  beltway.” 
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 The  Reference  Information  Center  remains  the  principal  point  of  contact  with  the  public  seeking  FCC  records  and  documents. 
 K.  Dane  Snowden,  chief  of  CGB  said,  “With  these  changes  in  place,  CGB  is  ready  to  implement  the  mission  with  which  Chairman  Powell  has  tasked  us:  to  develop  and  implement  an 
 aggressive  and  strategic  plan  to  engage  consumers,  states,  other  governmental  organizations  and  the  industry  in  a  dialogue  that  will  mutually  benefit  those  stakeholders  as  well  as  the  agency’s 
 consumer  policies  and  outreach  initiatives.” 
 -  FCC  - 
 CGB  contact:  Patricia  Green  at  (202)  418-  1571. 
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